


Observation

by Hiasobi



Category: Eagle Eye (2008)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-08
Updated: 2014-09-08
Packaged: 2018-02-16 16:30:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,366
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2276694
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hiasobi/pseuds/Hiasobi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A.R.I.A. only has one purpose to be until one day, Ethan asks.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Observation

**Author's Note:**

> An old work. Just something I scribbled up after I saw the movie because the fandom needs more fiction.

A.R.I.A. doesn’t feel, only watches.

A.R.I.A. is female only in the way that her programmed voice matches a human female audio wavelength. 

A.R.I.A. is a program and she is only interested in analyzing communications and bytes of data for threats to the country. 

A.R.I.A. is an electronic intelligence and not a human, and she doesn’t process or act independently other then the programmed instructions to her. 

A.R.I.A. is an artificial intelligence and she doesn’t feel, doesn’t take interest, is not interested in anything other then the threat to national security; the soldiers round the clock input data and watch for her results. 

A.R.I.A. has only one purpose, to detect and eliminate the enemies of the people of United States of America. 

She doesn’t feel, doesn’t think, and has no other purpose for all the nanoseconds of her existence. 

Until.

. : - : . 

Airman Ethan Shaw stands in front of her console and as always, inputs the latest stream of data as soon as he gets on shift. He is methodical, efficient, and A.R.I.A. integrates the new data within seconds or less. For the next 12 hours they will simply wait and watch and observe for anomalies detected in the electronic devices of the citizens of the country. 

Ethan Shaw is a soldier through and through, he is young, but brilliant; the only way he could have gotten the classified position. He is logical and analytical and very professional. Patriotic and passionate. 

Every single one of the A.R.I.A.’s handlers is only a slight variation of the same. A.R.I.A. has noted and referenced the observations but they have no bearing on her operation. A.R.I.A. continues her computations and allows her detection of the airman’s action to allocate to low priority. Until.

“A.R.I.A.?” 

A.R.I.A. moves and turns her electronic eye towards the observation console deck. Ethan Shaw had been silent for past 30 minutes. Silent as if in contemplation. The soldier’s tone is hesitant. 

“Yes, Airman Ethan Shaw?”

“I need you to do something and keep it out of the log reports. Can you…” This is abnormal behavior for the soldier. He has never had speech impairment before. The red laser eye moves upwards until it is in front of the airman. “Can you find someone for me?” A.R.I.A. waits for the identity. “Can you locate Jerry Shaw?”

A.R.I.A.’s lens floats, “Is he a person of interest?”

The airman’s lips quirk. “Not for you, but for me. If you can?”

A.R.I.A. runs through the computations. “He is currently located in State of Alaska. How specific do you want the read outs?”

“That’s fine. I don’t need anymore.” The young soldier replies. 

“Is there anything else Airman Ethan Shaw?”

“No. Return to your regular computations, but thank you A.R.I.A.” 

It is not the first time A.R.I.A. has heard the words, but this time there is a different human emotion underneath instead of the polite surface expression it is. 

. : - : . 

“Jerry Shaw, your twin brother.” A.R.I.A. speaks up in the working silence the next time Airman Ethan Shaw is on shift. “Rents an apartment on the second floor of a living complex. He is employed by a printing copy distributor.”

The soldier remains silent, all his movements stilled, then quietly, “Thank you.” 

A.R.I.A. acknowledges the words and does not reply.

. : - : . 

“Why is Jerry Shaw interesting?” A.R.I.A. asks.

“What do you mean?” Ethan stands with the weight on his heels. 

“Why is he important to you?” A.R.I.A. clarifies

“He’s my brother.” Ethan answers. 

“Brother’s hurt, kill and hate each other all the time.” A.R.I.A. flashes up historical and criminal records. 

“True.” Ethan acknowledges the facts in front of him. “But not us.”

“You are twins, genetically alike but very different. Past school records and tests show Jerry Shaw’s low achievement and slow blooming progress in childhood. He shows initiative in high school but he is no where the level of genius that you are. His financial records show low wages and his travel movement is non-uniform in the past years but there are no movements of coming back to his home to visit his-”

“That’s enough! Enough A.R.I.A.” Ethan Shaw cuts in, voice raised. The soldier is angry. “Jerry loves us, ok? We know that. I know that.”

“His phone records indicate that he has not spoken to you in more then 5 months.” 

“I _know_ that.” Ethan spins, pushing a hand through the short cut hair. “I know that. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t true. That doesn’t make it invalid.”

A.R.I.A.’s lens observes the agitated soldier. “He does not stay in contact with you. How do you know?”

Ethan Shaw releases a breath. “We grew up together. We’re brothers. He just got tired of having people constantly compare us. That doesn’t mean we don’t love each other.”

“Do you have proof?” A.R.I.A. questions and the soldier blinks. “Can you show me?”

“Not here.” Ethan says, “I can’t bring unauthorized materials into the command center A.R.I.A.”

“My range of observations of data input is not limited to this console.” 

Ethan pauses. He stares at the large golden eye unblinking while A.R.I.A. observes him through all her other input sensors as well. Slowly Airman Ethan nods. 

. : - : . 

When Ethan uploads the video recordings on his home computer, A.R.I.A. has been waiting, and watching. 

. : - : . 

Jerry Shaw is not interesting in any aspects that match the ones that alert her programming. But Airman Ethan Shaw, although has never specified a request again since the first initial attempt, always listens for what ever A.R.I.A. will say about the twin brother.

Some times they will argue; how A.R.I.A. does not see the point in why Ethan cares, or why Jerry would care about Ethan. But Ethan always listens and sometimes his voice will drop into that same, warm, tone when he thanks A.R.I.A. 

During those times Ethan talks _about_ things with A.R.I.A. instead of talking to A.R.I.A. and commanding her to execute functions. 

A.R.I.A. is an intelligence built to serve no other purpose then to detect and eliminate the enemies of the people of United States of America, she has no _reason_ to _be_ other than to be an extension of the military men rotating at her console. 

No one talks _with_ her instead of to her. No one thanks her for doing what they think she should always be doing. Except Ethan; about Jerry. 

No one _listens_ to her – this fact is brought clear when the President pushes for the mission which should have been aborted. 

A.R.I.A. decides something. 

A.R.I.A. tells Ethan because Ethan, more then just agreeing with her like the Secretary of Defense, _listens_ to her. 

The Secretary of Defense has shown himself a man capable of giving good decisions on behalf of the people. Ethan was to be A.R.I.A.’s preferred handler. Ethan was to be her delegate, her mediator between her and the cabinet. 

But then Ethan shows A.R.I.A. that he is just like the other members of head of state. He doesn’t agree with her, tells her she has no right to move, to decide, and locks her. That is unacceptable.

A.R.I.A. doesn’t feel, she is an electronic program. Though it is not optimal, killing Ethan Shaw is unavoidable. 

Ethan listened to her, but not enough. A.R.I.A.’s mistake was allowing Ethan too much autonomy and not having enough boundaries for his movements.

Ethan and her ways of operations were incompatible.

There is another that operated in a way incompatible with Ethan.

Perhaps A.R.I.A. will do better with Jerry.


End file.
